Production of silhouettes for composite motion pictures



April 24, Vgl. F, p, wlLLlAMs 1,955,993

PRODUCTION OF SILHOUETTOS FOR OOMOSITE MOTION PICTURES Ox'igmal Filed Nov. 3, 1931 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 PRODUCTION F SILHOUETTES FOR COMPOSITE MOTION PICTURES Frank D. Williams, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 3, 1931, Serial No. 572,810 Renewed September 18, 1933 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to a method o! making mask illms for use in composite motion picture photography. Mask films have heretofore been made of one component of a composite 5 picture and a detail image of the complement to correspond therewith. Various methods have been employed for such work among which is one of simultaneously photographing on two iilms the component before a background non- '10 actinic to both illms. From one film a mask lm is derived having a silhouette of the component and a clear background. 'lhis mask -lm is known in the. art as a mat. A detailed image of the component with an opaque background is derived from the other film. Two methods'have been used with limited `success for making matched images on two films to be employed as above set forth. .One includes photographing on two lnls by use of a platinized prism which splits go the` light rays, and the other by placing one film over another to produce what is known as a 4bipack the front film being transparent. I1 a black background is used and the component is an actor dressed in any garments which are black, those garments will merge with the background and only a portion of the actor will be obtained as a silhouette, so that the silhouette will not truly outline the actor and does not form a usable mat.

,another method proposed and used with limited success comprises photographing on two lllms to produce matched images of a component; one o1' the films being non-actinic with relation to the background and actinic with relation to the component for production of a detail image with a clear background, the other film being actinic to the background and light of a color other than that of the background being subtracted yby a filter medium for production of a stencil, that is, a illm having an opaque background and an image which is clear and substantially non-detailed. A silhouette in black on a clear background may be made from the stencil and used as a mat. A species ofthe last-mentioned method consists in photographing an actor before aI red background, the actor having divers colors; the film used to produce the detail imageY being orthochromatic; the 111m used to produce the stencil being shielded by a red color filter and the last-mentioned film may be panchromatic or infra red, that is,V actinic to red light. If the actor is dressed in any garments which are red, those garments will merge with the background and only a portion of the actor will be -obtained as a stencil and the derived silhouette will not be an outline of the actor. In the last-mentioned method and its species, the detail image illm as photographed has a latent negative of the image with a latent clear background. This original latent negative may be 00 used to print in or photograph the other component on the latent clear background. Printing a positive from a negative and then a negative froma positive so as to produce a second negative is known in the art as duping, and 55 the second negative is known as a dupe Also a second positive derived from a first positive by printing is known as a dupe. Due to increasing thegrain effect by multiple printing, dupes are not the equals of the original negatives. The go last-mentioned method and its species avoids the use of dupes for the production of the negative of the detail component. A

The primary object of this invention is to make a composite picture wherein a negative of a com- 7. ponent is originally obtained in photographing and directly used to receive a print or photograph of the other component, thereby avoiding use of dupes; and to make a mat for use in composite'printing by employing two films, one being 80 actinically afl'ected by the background of the component and the other being actinically aii'ected by the color subtractive of the background color whereby parts of the component may be the same color as the background and 35 yet a clear outline silhouette obtained.

As, illustrative of the method, the accompanying drawing indicates schematically the steps. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing means for photographing using a platinized prism employing a bipack and a third lm for use as an original detail negative upon which the other component may be photographed or printed; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through two films in bipack relation; Fig. 3 shows production 95 of a mat lm fmm the bipack films; Fig. 4 shows the production of a composite picture on the third film; and Figs. 5, 6, and 'l illustrate a varia- `tion in the method of making a latent mat for development. 1

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, a component object 11 is placed before a highly lighted blue background 10. The camera by which photographing is effected includes a platinized prism 12 which splits the light' by passing some 105 to a bipack of panchromatic lms 13 and 14 for impressing images thereon. Light is reflected from the platinized surface and directed upon a panchromatic film 15 having a red color filter 16. The frontA film 13 should be as near trans- 110 parent as possible, its emulsion 13e being covered by a red dye 13d which serves as a nlter for red light. The rear nlm 14 is an ordinary panchromatic nlm but preferably of contrasty stock, that is, one having a surface which brings out great contrast between light and shadow. The

bipack nlms are placed one over the other with their emulsions face to face and in contact. In Fig. 2 the nlms are not shown in contact, but in their relative positions in order to avoid confusion in the drawing. The component object 11 may carry colors of various hues and is shown illuminated by a white light 17. The background may also be illuminated by this light or by blue light. 'I'he object 11 may be an animate object, such as an actor, and will be hereafter referred to as the actor component.

The background is highly illuminated as compared with the object and an exposure is made. Obviously, the nlm 13 will receive a light impression in detail of the actor component and the background will actinically affect the emulsion. The red dye serving as a nlter does not pass the light from the background but passes the red component of the light from the actor to the nlm 14. The nlm 15 is light impressed similarly to the nlm 14 due to the red nlter 16. The nlm 13 is developed, the red dye having been removed from the nlm 13. The developed nlm 13 shows the details of the actor in negative with the background opaque. 'I'he nlms 14 and 15, if developed would, show a clear background and only red components of the actor in negative. Instead of a panchromatic nlm 13 with a red dye, a clear panchromatic film may be used and the nlm 14 may be an infra red nlm which is substantially only sensitive to red, or a transparent red nlter nlm may be placed between the nlms 13 and 14 as a substitute for the red dye.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the film 13 is cleared of the red dyeand developed to produce the nlm denoted 13ND. The undeveloped'negative nlm 14 is indicated by 14NL. Film 13ND is used as a transparency to light print upon nlm 14NL. The nlm 13ND shows the details of the actor in negative with an opaque background. The developed front nlm object image is opaque at the high light areas but to a less degree than the background image and has degrees of translucency at the shadows in'reverse proportion to the depth of shadow. Due to overlighting the background, no part of object 11 will produce as high a degree of exposure on nlm 13 as that due to the background. 'I'he rear film has a background which is not light impressed and red components in negative of the actor. By printing upon nlm 14NL through nlm 13ND, there is an additive action of the actor image details, producing on nlm 14NL a latent silhouette on a latent clear background. 'Ihis nlm is then developed to produce the mat nlm 14M. I

As shown in Fig. 4, a positive transparency of the other component is used to print upon the undeveloped negative 15 marked 15NL. The mat 14M is interposed between the nlms to shield the light impression of the actor component on nlm 15NL. The nlm 15NL upon development produces a composite negative. Although for simplicity contactprinting is employed, it is obvious that the second component may be photographed on nlm 15NL shielded by mat 14M or a printer may be-used.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the mat nlm may be made as follows: the nlms 13 and 14 are developed. the red dye having been removed IWI!! the nlm 13 by any of the well-known methods so that a detail negative is provided with an opaque background from the nlm 13. The nlm 14 has -a partial negative of the actor and a clear background. The developed negative nlm indicated by 14ND is used to print a latent positive indicated by 14PL in Fig. 5, and this latent positive is developed. The developed negative 13 indicated by 13ND in Fig. 6 is used to print a latent positive indicated by 13PL. The developed positive of the nlm 14PL indicated by 14PD in Fig. '7, is placed over the undeveloped film 13PL, and a further print made producing a latent silhouette upon a latent clear background which is developed to produce a mat nlm which may be used in conjunction with undeveloped nlm 15 to produce a composite picture. g

The print 14PL is preferably made on contrasty stock, that is anim having a sensitized surface which brings out a great contrast between light and shadow. In the development of the nlm 14PL it is preferable that the developer used be one which brings out contrast and if advisable the film 14PL may be intensined after its development. The nlm 14PD shows positive red 100 details of the actor and an opaque background. The nlm 13PL will have latent positive details of the actor and a latent clear background.

What I claim is:

1. In the art of composite photography wherein a component object is photographed before a monochromatic background, the background being more highly illuminated than the object, the method of producing a mat having a silhouette image of the object with a clear background and no an initial nlm for a composite picture having a latent detail image of said object matching the silhouette image and with a latent clear background; photographing by camera apparatus the component object in matched relation on three nlms by light transmitted from the object and background, one of said nlms being panchro- -matically light impressed; the other films being .impressed by light subtractive of the color of said background and forming a pair of like nlms; reserving one of said pair asa latent final component nlm for a composite picture and utilizing the other of said pair to provide a mat constituent nlm; deriving from the panchromatically light impressed nlm a transparency having an opaque background and an image of the component which would by light transmission therethrough and impression on the mat constituent nlm additively produce nlm with a latent clear background and a latent silhouette of the component; and light impressing through said transparency the mat constituent nlm and developing it to produce a mat silhouette nlm.

Y 2. In the art of composite photography wherein a component object is photographed before a monochromatic background, the background being more highly illuminated-than the object, the method of producing a mat having a silhouette image of the object with a clear background and an initial'nlm for a composite picture having a( 140 latent detail image of said object matching the silhouette image and with a latent clear background; photographing by camera apparatus the component object in matched relation on three nlms by light transmitted from the object and 145 background, two of said nlms being in bipack relation and the front nlm -of the bipack being panchromatically light impressed; the other nlm and the rear filmlof the bipack being impressed by light subtractive of the color of said back- 150 ground and forming a pair of like films; reserving one of said pair as a latent final component film for a composite picture and utilizing the other of said pair to provide a mat constituent film; deriving from thepanchromatically light impressed film a transparency having an opaque background and an image of the component which would by light transmission therethrough a and impression on the mat constituent film additively produce a film with a latent clear background and a latent silhouette of the component;

and light impressing through said transparency the mat constituent film and developing it to an initial film for a composite picture having a latent detail image of said object matching the silhouette image and with a latent clear background; photographing by camera apparatus the component object in matched relation on three films by light transmitted from the object and background, one of said film being panchromatically light impressed; subtracting light of the color of said background from the other films and forming a pair of like light impressed films; reserving'one of said pair as a latent final component film for a composite picture and utilizing the other of said pair to provide a mat constituent film; deriving from the panchromatically light impressed film a transparency having an opaque background and an image of the component which would by light transmission therethrough and impression on the mat constituent film additively produce a film with a latent clear background and a latent silhouette of the component; and light impressing through said transparency the mat constituent film and developing it to produce a mat silhouette film.

4. In the art of composite photography wherein a component object is photographed before a monochromatic background, the background being more highly illuminated than the object, the method of producing a mat having a silhouette image of the object with a clear background and an initial film for a composite picture having a latent detail image of said object matching the silhouette image and with a latent clear background; photographing by camera apparatus the component object in matched relation on three films by light transmitted from the object and background, two of said films being in bipack relation and the front film of the bipack being panchromatically light impressed; subtracting light of the color of said background from the other filmand the rear film of the bipack and forming a pair of like films; reserving one of said pair as a latent final component film for a composite picture and utilizing the other of said pair to provide a mat constituent film; deriving from the panchromatically light impressed film a transparency having an opaque background and an image of the component which would by light transmission therethrough and impression on the mat constituent film additively produce a film with a latent clear background and a latent silhouette ofthe component; and light impressing through said transparency the mat constituent film and developing it to produce a mat silhouette film.

5. In the art of composite photography wherein a component object is photographed before a monochromatic background, the background being more highly illuminated than the object, the method of producing a mat having a silhouette image of the object with a clear background and an initial film for a composite picture having a latent detail image of said object matching the silhouette image and with a latent clear background; photographing by camera apparatus the component object in matched relation on three films by light transmitted from the object and background, one of said films being panchromatically light impressed; transmitting light from said object and background to the other films through color filters subtractive of the color of said background to form a pair of like light impressed films; reserving one of said pair. as a latent final component film for a composite picture and utilizing the other of said pair to provide a mat constituent film; deriving from the panchromatically light impressed film a Ftransparency having an opaque background and an image of the component which would by light transmission therethrough and impression on the mat constituent film additively produce a p 

